Myopia in children

Myopia in children

Recently my daughter’s class teacher sent her class photo . I was shocked to see it . Eleven out of twenty five students were already using spectacles . Being a clinical optometrist, I’m fully aware of the increasing amount of vision problems especially in children , but sometimes when you face it like this , reality hits harder .

In most cases where children has to wear spectacles , myopia is the culprit . Myopia simply means blurred vision while looking at farther objects ( also known as near sightedness ) . I have seen several parents in my clinic getting their kids’ eyes checked just because their teachers understood the child struggling to read what’s written on the board . And eventually gets diagnosed with myopia and suitable treatment options are given .

But myopia treatment is not just simply about prescribing spectacles . Understanding the importance of management , slowing myopia progression and timely follow up for the treatment is equally important. Myopia management not only helps the patient with a better vision , but also reduces the risk of certain eye diseases . Yes ! Each diopter counts ! And since myopia progresses quickly in children , management is more important in this age group. Because early onset implies more years of progression , younger children with myopia are at greater risk of developing high myopia .

The three strong risk factors for fast progression of myopia are age , ethnicity and parental history of myopia . However , there are some factors that we as parents could keep under control to slow myopia progression . Studies show that children who spend less than two hours outdoors are at greater risk of myopia progression and children with more than three hours outdoors are at lower risk . And the. amount of near work also contributes to myopia progression. Children with near work outside of school for more than three hours a day are at higher risk.

Myopia treatment includes several options depending on the child’s age, prescription, and lifestyle.

Spectacles are the most effective and accessible starting point – but not just any spectacles. Standard single vision lenses correct vision without slowing progression. Myopia control lenses, specifically designed to reduce the rate of elongation of the eye, are the better clinical choice.

Soft multifocal contact lenses offer myopia control benefits that, in appropriately selected children under professional supervision, outweigh the risks of lens wear at a young age.

Orthokeratology involves wearing specially designed rigid contact lenses overnight to temporarily reshape the cornea – children wake up with clear vision through the day without needing spectacles or lenses.

Atropine eye drops and repeated low-level red light therapy are also used, though both carry a rebound effect when stopped – meaning progression can accelerate once treatment is discontinued.

With growing research. , we now have. many treatment options for myopia. What’s important is choosing the effective treatment and timely follow up . As an optometrist I have seen many parents being reluctant about their kids using spectacles . And since refractive errors cannot be just medicated away , it’s important that we educate parents about the importance of timely management and treatment of myopia.

That classroom photo still stays with me. Eleven children out of twenty five, all under the age of six. Not because wearing spectacles is a tragedy – it isn’t. But because behind each of those frames is a progression that could have been slowed, managed, and understood earlier.

Next time your child squints at the board, struggles to copy notes, or seems lost in class – don’t assume laziness. Your child’s next eye exam might be the most important appointment you book this year.